"In any language, the whole world is united by a ball." --- Steve Amoia, Publisher.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

AC Ancona Purchased by the Vatican Council of Bishops

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

A few days ago, the majority shares of Ancona, a Serie C (Italian 3rd division) team, were purchased by a somewhat different buyer: Centro Sportivo Italiano. Better known as the Vatican Council of Bishops.

"CSI, which is run by the Vatican's Conference of Bishops, has drafted an ethics code both for players and fans and will invest the profits in projects to help developing countries and Catholic youth in Italy.

'It is a way to moralize football, to bring some ethics to a sector that is going through a deep crisis of values,' said Ancona archbishop Edoardo Menichelli, who recently played a benefit game against an Italian national team of singers. CSI president Edio Costantini said the centre wants 'to invest in the true meaning of sport.

We want football to be again a means of education and not tied to strictly monetary values. We will show that, for boys, football is not just an illusion or a bad example.' "

Very few Italians truly practice Catholicism, the birth rate in Italy is one of the lowest in the EU, and Sunday afternoons are spent worshiping outside of the confines of beautiful churches. In Italy, the true religion is calcio. Surely, calcio italiano has scandals, fan violence, and other unsavory elements. But it is an example of real life, and is certainly not an illusion.

The team colors of AC Ancona are red and white. That is one thing that the Vatican will not have to change. ;-)

You will also find a review about Carlo Ancelotti's excellent book on tactics. There are excerpts from a factual novel about Gaetano Scirea along with Francesco Totti's humorous yet historical guidebook on ancient Rome.

6. Featured Review

Image credit: Nation Books.

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